Peace with Pogba needed for Mourinho to shirk familiar criticism

London: Manchester United's Champions League trip to Sevilla on Wednesday night is the type of occasion for which the English giants swallowed their pride to pay £89 million for Paul Pogba, four years after he left Old Trafford for Juventus as a free agent.

Yet, it remains to be seen whether the French midfielder even starts at the Sanchez Pizjuan for the first leg of the last-16 tie as much due to his form as his fitness.

Pogba hasn't completed 90 minutes in a month as he has been hauled off by Jose Mourinho in defeats at Tottenham and Newcastle, and dropped by the Portuguese for victory over Huddersfield at Old Trafford in between.

Reports in the French press emerged last week that Pogba is unhappy with the role given to him by Mourinho, in particular the defensive demands imposed by the Portuguese.

Mourinho pointedly said Pogba would have occupied his favoured role on the left of a midfield three for Saturday's fifth-round FA Cup win at Huddersfield if he had not been ruled out hours before the game due to illness.

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez on the left side of the United attack in January has exacerbated those differences as Pogba and the Chilean are yet to complete 90 minutes together.

Mourinho described rumours of a breakdown in communication between he and Pogba as "big lies", but has not hid his criticism of the 24-year-old's form.

"In this moment he is not playing well... and the team needs him at a good level."

No more so than in the next few weeks as in between their two legs against Sevilla, United also host Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League with all three sides locked in a battle to finish in the top four.